GEM's 'bring a bra' charity event

Gem Construction (York) Ltd.’s Director Wendy Green has continued supporting the Rwenzori Women for Health (RWFH) charity since her return from Uganda in March.

RWFH was started in August 2012 and their outreach programme aims to address the health needs of the community in the Rwenzori Hills.

The focus of the project is to empower women in rural areas, not only to look after their own health, but that of their families too. RWFH achieves this through health education, including basic first aid training, primarily to the women in the community as they are the main carers. The health needs of men are incorporated too but it is a very patriarchal environment and their trust needs to be gained first. Also,
when topics such as sexual health and family planning are approached, the men cannot be excluded! Twice yearly, they offer screening for hypertension, diabetes, malnutrition, HIV, and deworming. They’re now increasing the range of available activities and their geographical reach.

To raise funds for this amazing project, Wendy organised a women’s lunch at The Star Inn The City (SITC) that was attended by 90 women who were all asked to bring any unwanted bras with them to donate to the women of Rwenzori. Wendy approached a number of businesses who were all keen to support the charity and donate what they could for the lunch, and this came in the form of raffle prizes and food and drink for the day.

As the women arrived, the atmosphere was electric and everyone was looking forward to a splendid day. The event started off with a speech from Michelin star chef Andrew Pern who devised the menu. This was followed by speeches from Wendy and Rita Miller, the charity founder, who both thanked everybody for attending and for donating to this worthwhile cause.

The event raised £7,125.00 and a lot of bras.

Rita Miller, Andrew Pern and Wendy Green celebrating the charity’s recent success.